<p>I* will *say that my daughters numbers were much lower than yours- and she was accepted with aid. ( albeit 7 years ago- a whole different ballgame- oh do you fence or play rugby?
)However- if you don't need aid, that is a big plus in your favor, because while it will make your resume just a tad less impressive- they are need aware & it would free up money .</p>
<p>Yes, emerald, the thing about Reed is that the stat profile of accepted students does appear to be changing because of the dramatic increase in applications. Seven years ago was a whole different ball game. I suspect this year the acceptance rate will drop even lower than last year. </p>
<p>Binder20, see my post on the other recent chances thread. There's nothing here but stats, and Reed acceptance hasn't traditionally been based on stats. (That is, while stats may qualify you for a further look, it's the subjectives that get you admitted.) You say "Essay: Solid", which honestly sounds flat out like you have no idea what makes a good Reed application. What sort of graded paper are you providing? What do the recommendations say about how you are a good fit for Reed? What's your angle on Why Reed? </p>
<p>The subjective things about you are what will get you in. If this post is representative of you as a student, nothing about it seems Reed-specific. If you want more opnions, you'll probably get them if you have more than the usual, shallow stats-based chances post.</p>
<p>^for comparison I will post my Ds stats.
SATs ( old SAT combined) of 1350, higher on the writing end)
GPA 3.3 at a rigorous & competitive prep, school doesn't offer APs but virtually 100% go on to a four year school within a year or two of graduation- most go to schools like Carleton,Swarthmore, UPenn.
Submitted biology research paper Re: mitrochondrial DNA & essay on " gaydar"- humourous and perceptive writer.
Has learning disabilties- spoke to those challenges as well.
Lowish income, blue collar, first generation college
Community volunteer- well over 2000 hours just at the zoo- also other community participation, mostly as riding instructor, during high school.
Very strong recommendations from instructors and her volunteer supervisior.</p>
<p>Took a year off after high school to work in Americorps, where she did community service full time in challenged schools, including the designated school for homeless elementary students & she taught computer skills to low income minority high school students.</p>
<p>Didn't apply ED, because financial aid was critical to attend & even though Reed stated that they gave good aid to ED students- we were concerned.</p>
<p>We also visited once before she applied and another time before we heard of acceptances. I have the impression that if you can, visiting is important because Reed/Portland has a certain flavor, that is best experienced in person.</p>
<p>I believe although her class was unranked, she was able to communicate her writing ability and her energy & drive to persist despite challenges. If you * don't have* challenges like being a minority/low income/1st generation college, it may require more thinking on how to express tenacity- but I think that is something they like to see.</p>
<p>I would also mention & this is probably the most important piece, that Reed was overwhelmingly my Ds first choice & she was able to communicate that.</p>
<p>From observing Binders other " chance me" posts, I assume that Reed is not the first choice & he will not be able to illustrate that it is.
Because it is such a unique place- I feel the school is better served by admitting those who made it their first choice & my observations show the adcom feels the same way.</p>
<p>Yes, I agree, emerald. My son made it clear that he was in love with the school, and we feel like they "returned the love" by admitting him and giving him such generous aid. We used to drive to college fairs if the Reed rep was coming, just so he could visit the table and have a moment there. We attended every Reed-related event in the bay area. He emailed them several times, as did I. He put a lot of effort and thought into demonstrating his interest in the school. If they'd let him, he would have pitched a tent on the lawn in front of ODB and lived there all senior year. </p>
<p>In the face of rising application numbers, I hope that Reed becomes even more interested in admitting students who want to be <em>there</em>, and not just students who want to be at a highly rated LAC.</p>
<p>Emerald,
I was wondering what you meant when you said your daughter didn't apply ED. I was going to apply ED, the deadline is Friday, but there is no way I will be able to go without aid. Reed is my first choice and I don't see myself anywhere else. I guess I would just like to know what you meant by that.</p>
<p>hopefl, if Reed is your clear first choice above all others, go ahead and apply ED. If you are accepted, Reed will meet your full financial need for all four years. Like other schools, Reed determines your need according to their formula, using FAFSA and PROFILE. If you wish to compare financial awards from other schools, ED is not the way to go. But if you're sure about Reed, get that application in! :)</p>
<p>I guess I would just like to know what you meant by that.</p>
<p>My idea that Reed was not Binders first choice was because of the number of threads that he initiated asking what his chances were regarding quite a selection of other schools, ( Whitman, Carnegie Mellon, Northwestern,USC, Amherst) which are more competitive and well known than Reed- combine that with no information about why Reed would be his first choice- gave me the impression that it was not ( particularly since those schools are a bit different than Reed)</p>
<p>Regarding ED, Reed was her first choice & I do believe Reed holds money out for ED students along with returning students- if she was applying again ( and had her essays done), I would advise her to apply ED.</p>
<p>If my son was going to apply again, I'd tell him to do it ED, too. He would have liked ot have had it out of the way. He didn't because of the traditional "don't do it if financial aid is a factor", but now that we know what we know about Reed's aid at the low EFC level -- very good! -- he could have applied ED.</p>
<p>In my experience, Reed's financial aid office is very open to discussing their financial aid policies with prospective students and their parents, especially students who are thinking about applying ED. A student of mine last year strongly felt that Reed was her top choice, but, because she was eligible for serious merit money at some other colleges, and was also being heavily recruited by some LACs that no longer include loans, she and her mother were hesitating. At my suggestion, they talked with Reed's financial aid office, which was very upfront about the amount of loans that she could expect, not just in the first year, but in subsequent years as well. It was a number they felt they could live with, so she went the ED route. Reed's offer was very close to what they had indicated (although in the end, she also received a Gates Millenium Scholarship, so the loans were a mute point). I do think that before anyone who needs financial aid decides to go ED that they and their parents should talk to the financial aid office of the school being considered.</p>
<p>If you are a junior, then I assume your test scores, essay, and recommendations are all speculative at this point. Grade-wise, you're on target for a lot of schools, so for now I'd suggest you focus on what, exactly, you're looking for in a college experience, rather than worrying about your chances at any particular college just yet. Once you know the kind of college experience you're looking for, most likely you will also begin to get a stronger sense, without asking strangers, of how your grades and test scores, when they are available, will match up.</p>